Land Reform
Bolivian land returned to the people
Plans are under way in Bolivia to redistribute land. The first phase will be to distribute 4.5 million hectares of state-owned land. Two million hectares have been earmarked for women and indigenous peoples. The second phase will involve expropriating privately owned land that is deemed to be unproductive or held solely for speculation and investment purposes. Bolivian legislation forbids foreign citizens to own property within 50 kilometres of the border, and indigenous and small farmers’ organizations are calling for these lands – owned by Brazilian and Paraguayan entrepreneurs – to be expropriated for their benefit.
These reforms will drastically change land distribution. Presently just 100 families own 25 million hectares of Bolivian land while 2 million small farmers have access to only 5 million hectares, according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Earlier this year President Evo Morales quoted the example of landowners who put one cow out to pasture on 50,000 hectares of land to explain why he intended to promote fair land distribution during his five-year term. Indigenous leaders in the eastern district of Santa Cruz have reportedly registered 22,000 families – who are now landless or land poor – to become beneficiaries under the land programmes.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
